Marbella Truth

by Shel Stone

  Part of her felt as though she should be gushing, that it wasn’t real unless she was going out of her mind with worry if he liked her and felt jealousy at every person he talked to. That just wasn’t her. Her feelings came slowly, in moments of stillness. Another part of her was still concerned that he wouldn’t cope with things, with moving to Australia, and the baby. The best intentions didn’t necessarily mean things worked out, but she was hopeful. That was really hard to explain, though. Maybe she came across as a little aloof, even indifferent. That didn’t mean she was. “I like him,” she finally said.

  But do you love him, a voice in her head asked, and she was grateful that Adelaide didn’t, because the answer was that she didn’t know yet. It wasn’t as though there was anywhere else she wanted to be. And the sex was fantastic.

  She was worried about things that weren’t in her control, and they weren’t really in Ricky’s control either. So what was the point worrying about it? This was the thing one simply had to take a leap on. There were no guarantees.

  Still, at times, she got that shifting feeling in her stomach as if going over a dip in the road. Both excitement and nervousness.

  Ricky saw her and smiled. There was nowhere else he wanted to be either. She could see that in his eyes. He wasn’t looking out for greener pastures, and that was perhaps the most exciting thing of all. He was in.

  With a beer in his hand, he walked toward her. He really was cute. There was an intimacy between them, as if they had secrets only they knew. “Hey,” he said and kissed her. “You alright?”

  “Yeah, good.”

  She liked how he touched her whenever they were near. No purpose, just some part of him touching her. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around his waist. This felt nice, it felt right. And exciting, and new and adventurous.

  “How was work?”

  “Jesus wasn’t excited that I swapped shifts. The new kid is just about pissing himself taking the evening shift, but the best way to learn is to jump in the deep end, right?”

  A wave of guilt hit her, because to come with her, Ricky had to give up what he did, what he was really good at. Again she worried that it was just another stress on them, but it wasn’t in her control. It just had to unfold as it would.

  “Jesus is going to have to figure something out for when you leave,” she said, aware it was the first time she’d acknowledge to him that he was coming with her.

  “Yeah, I suppose,” Ricky said. A smile spread across his lips. “That will be coming up, won’t it?”

  “Maybe he can put Trish and Amber on the job to find a replacement.”

  “Huh?” Ricky said, clearly confused.

  “They’re starting a staff recruiting company. We all know that Jesus doesn’t love dealing with such things. So they can do it for him.”

  “I mean, I know a few people.”

  “You should definitely give Trish some ideas about who would be good for the club.”

  “So we’re really doing this?” Ricky said.

  “You tell me.”

  “Fucking Australia. I’m going to have to learn how to surf.”

  “That is doable. I can teach you,” Solraya said with a smile.

  “So when do you want to do this?”

  She’d already stayed in Marbella longer than she’d intended. There wasn’t any reason they couldn’t stay longer. Obviously not too long. It wasn’t as if she wanted to walk around house listings when she was big as a whale. They could stay at her mum’s for a while, but if there was two of them, it would make sense to get their own place. “There’s no hurry. We could put it off for a month, maybe two at tops. The other option is to do slower travel. Maybe hang out in Thailand for a month. Do the backpacker circuit.” It was her last chance to, really.

  “Mint,” Ricky said. “I’d love that. Never been.”

  “It’s been a while since I’ve done some proper travel too. We could travel down Asia over land, then fly from Bali.”

  “Hell, yes,” Ricky said with certainty.

  “I basically have three months tops. Two would be better.”

  “So when do you want to go?”

  “How much notice do you have to give Jesus?”

  Ricky winced. “I probably shouldn’t leave the bloke high and dry.”

  “Talk to Trish. Find a replacement. Jesus will drag his feet if you give him the opportunity to.”

  “Right. Replacement. One of the Germans might be good. There’s some good DJs over in Berlin.”

  Ricky looked lost in thought for a moment, and Solraya took a deep breath and exhaled. This was exciting. From being so nervous and uncertain when she’d gotten here, she was now downright excited about the future. Still a little nervous, but mostly for Ricky’s sake.

  Chapter 69

  “OH, THIS PLACE LOOKS NICE,” Ricky said, his eyes taking in the pictures of the place he’d discovered along the southern coast of Thailand. “Is it worth going over to Vietnam? Angkor Wat is in between. I would love to see that.”

  “Vietnam’s nice,” Solraya said, sitting out on his small balcony and drinking tea in mug. “There’s a speedboat that goes down the Mekong river to Vietnam. A friend did it, said it was awesome.”

  Excitement boiled over in Ricky again. He hadn’t been off the computer for days, searching for places to go. It all looked so exotic. Obviously, everyone and their dog had been to Thailand, but he’d never been. And it was reassuring that Solraya was so chilled about it. She’d been before, so he felt less nervous and more excited, because he didn’t have to figure everything out. She knew what to do.

  At the same time, he’d searched all the flights going that way, trying to find a good deal. The budget was something he was working on. They weren’t loaded, but they weren’t broke either. And there really were hotels to suit every budget. A few he flatly refused to consider. Solraya seemed more chilled, even about the grotty ones. It turned out, he had standards.

  That afternoon, he was meeting Trish with his top three picks for who should be his replacement. The sooner he could get one, the faster they could take off. Obviously the new kid was keen as hell to fill in—he just wasn’t ready to. More was required to be a good DJ than keenness.

  “Do you think we should book some flights and Jesus would just have to put up with it?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Solraya answered. “Book.”

  A nervousness bit into him as he pulled up the airline site. Thai Airways seemed the best option. “So what? Three weeks?”

  “Two,” Solraya said.

  Ricky winced. Maybe he shouldn’t leave this to Trish and should make some calls himself. Trish could sort it out once they had a bite. The issue was finding someone who wasn’t contractually bound. It wouldn’t be an impossible task. These gigs were never truly permanent, so it wasn’t as if they were asking someone to commit for ages.

  Through the grapevine, he’d heard there were some good new guys coming up in Manchester. Maybe he should reach out to a couple of them.

  “You said Trish had talked to Jesus, right?” Ricky asked.

  “Yeah, she spoke to him, so he’s aware.”

  Well, that was something. He hated disappointing people, so he felt better that Jesus at least knew about it. Especially as Ricky had only agreed to come back not that long ago. Things had changed. He’d met a girl, and that was it.

  Pulling up the best looking flight, he pulled out his credit card and put in his details. “This is it. Two weeks? You sure?”

  “Yes. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  Pressing the purchase key, Ricky stared at it. He was leaving Europe. Heading off to lands unknown. Looking over, he saw that Solraya didn’t see this as the monumental moment he did. Then again, she was heading home.

  With a large exhale, he closed his laptop and got off the bed. On the balcony, he sat down and placed Solraya’s leg in his lap. “Done. We’re going.”

  “Good,” she said with a smile. “We’ll have fun.”

&
nbsp; There were moments when his excitement turned into twinges of panic, but he was definitely not bored like he’d been in Ibiza. He wasn’t searching for something like he had been. This was it—what he’d been looking for. Even the kid.

  He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t had a sneaky look at the tiny little baby clothes in the shop windows. It was all so foreign, but the idea of hanging on a beach with a little kid digging sand wasn’t half bad. The idea of Solraya swelling wasn’t bad either. He found it surprisingly enticing. Her body curvy and heavy. In fact, he was getting turned on right now.

  But he took a deep breath and sighed it out, because he didn’t want to shock her by how much he wanted to fuck her, or how often. Constantly, was the answer. Whenever she moved, or spoke, or looked at him. And then at the end of his shifts, when he came home and slipped into bed with her, it was the best thing he knew. She didn’t always stay, and he missed her like a physical ache when she didn’t.

  “What are you thinking about?” Solraya asked.

  Looking down, he saw his shorts were completely tented. “I think you know. Hey, we’re not going to be staying in dorms, are we? They’ll be seeing a lot more than they bargained for in that case.”

  Solraya chuckled. “No, we won’t stay in dorms.”

  Ricky’s relief was palpable, because sleeping in rooms with other people was a hell he couldn’t contemplate. “Good.”

  “Now, why don’t you come inside and show me what you have in your pocket?” Solraya suggested, and she didn’t need to ask twice.

  Chapter 70

  “I THINK WHEN YOUR LIFE ISN’T quite so complicated, we can revisit,” Samara said down the line.

  Tristan chewed the inside of his cheek, mostly to ensure he didn’t respond with the hot flashes of anger he felt. Samara was dumping him. But no, there would be no revisiting. He wasn’t someone to be picked up and placed down again, to return to when it suited her. There would be no redos. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

  Truthfully, the trust was broken now. She was simply too weak to be the kind of person he needed. It was a shame, because they got on well, but a weak character would be a considerable liability, and it was an additional burden he didn’t need right now.

  And she had some truly unrealistic expectations. It seemed she was just spoilt and didn’t understand what it took to persevere in this world. Likely she would grow to regret the decision one day, or she perhaps she’d never quite understand what she’d given up.

  Now this was all very awkward and annoying. “With that said, I think perhaps it is time to end this call. Have a nice life, Samara.” Hopefully that would convey that there would be no revisiting.

  “Good-bye, Tristan,” she said curtly in response. At least she wasn’t attempting to state that they should continue as friends. He didn’t need friends.

  Without saying anything further, he hung up. Anger coursed through his body, and disappointment. Dealing with her had been such a waste of time.

  Dropping the phone on his desk, he stood up and left the office, feeling the need to move, to do something. A noise distracted him and he knew someone had arrived.

  “Hello, Ludwina,” Tristan said as his sister appeared, by the look of her, coming back from Yoga practice. “Still in town, I see. Why are you still here?”

  “Because this is where my family is,” she said with a bright smile. Funnily, she hadn’t been all that concerned about spending time with them previously. Mostly she’d derided them for their capitalistic endeavours.

  “You’re not staying here for the legal hooplas, are you?”

  “No, of course not. But I think you should know, Tristan, that I’m not going to be taken advantage of by you, or Percy. I might be stupid, but I’m not that stupid.”

  “I see,” Tristan said. This confirmed that she was as much in the fight as he and Percy were. She would have a team of lawyers stashed somewhere, preparing her case.

  A part of him had always known that her airy-fairy attitude had been a strategy she used to deal with their father, a clear means of disconnect as her supposed values opposed every one of his. Pure passive aggression.

  Ludwina was fully capable of playing the victim here, and probably had a better case than Percy.

  This all put her in play too. Ludwina would have to form an alliance with either him or Percy, and it mattered which one she chose. It may not make her a kingmaker, but it made her important in the game.

  Good relations with her would be important, but her strict values had put a distance between them as well. But they would never connect on virtue. “I’ve never underestimated you,” he said with a smile.

  It was the one weakness in Percy’s relationship with Ludwina. Percy had always underestimated and dismissed her. That might backfire in the end.

  “What are you two talking about?” Persephone said lightly as she walked in. “Are we having one of our family dinners?”

  “It wasn’t the plan, but as we’re all here. You don’t have plans with your new best friend, Mr. Azmer?”

  “Speaking of Azmers, how is Samara?” The pleased look on her face showed that she was pleased with her latest tactics.

  Again he cursed Samara for being so weak and leaving him in a position where Percy achieved one of her aims. It would be embarrassing to admit she’d won this skirmish. But what was the point in crying over spilled milk, when the next skirmish was more important?

  To truly hurt Percy, the best option was to attack her position in London society. Being single definitely meant he had options in that regard. Her alignment with Hassan presented some weaknesses that could be exploited.

  “I’ll change before dinner,” Ludwina said and moved away.

  Watching her go, he wondered if she would change now that her airy-fairy strategies weren’t necessary anymore. It remained to be seen. The sisterly competitiveness between her and Percy were deep rooted, however, and it was a thing in his favour.

  “How’s business?” Tristan asked.

  Percy’s mouth tightened, probably still struggling with the mess occurring with her suppliers.

  “Fine,” she said. “Care for a drink? I could use one.”

  “Why not?”

  Tristan sat down at the seating area while Percy went to be bar to fix the drinks herself. An irrational thought of her poisoning him popped into his mind. That was how they had used to solve these things, wasn’t it? They’d just kill the familial challengers until there was no opposition. But they were more civilised these days.

  Percy returned with the drinks. Gin and tonics, her favourite. He didn’t mind it. The bitterness was quite refreshing, particularly after the heat they’d had.

  “We should have the contents in the vault assessed,” Percy suggested. It was the reason they were all in this house. This was where the vault was, and no one wanted to put at risk the benefit of physical proximity. The rule of possession may come into play. Who knew? The will was so very complex, they were in unchartered territory.

  “Until the will is fully executed, we can’t get access.”

  “I’m sure we can work around that if we all agree.”

  “We haven’t agreed to anything so far, so why start now?”

  “No need to be difficult, Tristan,” Percy chided. “I might check on dinner, to make sure they are actually preparing it. Someone has to be practical,” she said, giving him a pointed look as she rose.

  Tristan didn’t feel like sitting there and rose to walk outside. Warm air greeted him, but the sun was mercifully setting. It painted the sky in beautiful colours of pinks and oranges. The air was heavy with scent from the garden and Tristan breathed it in.

  It might actually have been the first time he’d stepped outside that day. The steel-lined pool glinted across the manicured lawn. As far as he’d seen, no one had used it. And he certainly couldn’t see his father frolicking in it. It could be that it had never been used.

  Looking out at the view, he took it in. It was beautiful. This w
asn’t his town, he had no affinity for it, and now it was also the town Samara lived in, with her unrealistic expectations and spoilt life.

  If he were to admit it, there was a small part of him that wondered what it would have been like to accept her offer to leave this all behind and go away. It would have meant leaving this all behind for her too, which was probably a sacrifice from her perspective. Just the two of them, going off somewhere without all this—the court case, his sisters, Hassan Azmer, and the prospect of massive wealth.

  It just couldn’t be; it never could have. It was her unrealistic notions. A fantasy. What had she expected, that they would roam the resorts of the world? He had responsibilities. Another thing she clearly didn’t understand.

  Them spending days on some beach somewhere was an appealing notion, but it would never be more than a fantasy. A twinge of longing pierced him, but he dismissed it. Fantasies were for children. Even Ludwina put the ludicrous ‘alternative lifestyles’ behind her when it came down to the crunch.

  Samara would have to find her asinine prince charming elsewhere.

  The End

  New releases are coming, sign up to the Shel Stone readers’ group for dates and giveaways. Grab a complimentary copy of Claiming the East.

  Other Books by Shel Stone

  A Thin Line –D’Arth series book 1– Bella Burrows knows that the corporate environment is difficult to navigate at the best of times. It is especially difficult when the important account lead hates the very sight of her. Damon D'Arth is a corporate warrior who knows his way around the politics in the world for major infrastructure. Jane needs to stand up for herself and her mentor's interests.

  This job is the key to Bella's future and she's been given a great opportunity, but now she needs to prove that her promotion was justified. She just isn't sure she can survive in this high pressure environment with hidden dangers and equal exhilaration. Her mentor's support is the only thing that is keeping D'Arth from ripping her to pieces.